World of Naruto
by MechaKeitaro
Summary: What happens when a game goes too far? With Naruto as Hokage, anything can happen! Cameos by your faves, Gaara, Hinata, Kiba, Tenten, Neji, Kakashi, Anko, Shino, Ino, Shikamaru, and more! Looking to be remastered and updated... maybe.
1. Dreamers

**MechaKeitaro: **Hello! I am MechaKeitaro, Mech for short. First let me state that this is my first time in the fan fic world. I have several characters that are mine, while the rest belong to Toriyama. Apart from saying the usual 'characters in this story are entirely fictional… blah, blah, blah, I think we can start.

WORLD OF NARUTO

Chapter 1: Dreamers

"Hey Mike, where ya goin'?"

"Game Hop just got the Naruto RPG in for the SS2 so I'm going to go buy it. Want to come along?"

"Sure, I get a discount there, so it will be easier to buy."

"Alright , lets go."

That's the way it all started. Hell, I thought it was all a dream at first, but when I saw the changes it had on me, I knew it wasn't. See, I went to buy this new videogame, a Naruto RPG. I thought that I would just enjoy a good few hours of game play a day in between work and veggin' out.

Man, was I wrong.

'Welcome to the new Naruto RPG. You can start a new file with one of our pre-made characters, or you can create your own, with a style that's unique to you.'

"Well, let's make a character. I always wondered what I would be like as a Naruto character. Lets see, first, a name. Hmm… how about Nitero? Nah, too funky. Hey Brooke, give me a name!"

"How 'bout Riso? That sounds like a cool name."

"Aright, Riso it is." (A/N hey, Mike, don't you think this is a little wrong?" What's wrong, Mitsune?" Using Brooke's name in this? Isn't she a prominent fan fic author?" "Not under that name. She's SabakunoRyu out here. Now be quiet, I'm trying to tell a story!")

"Okay, next is skills. Wow, what a list!"

**Character Abilities:**

**1.Eye Abilities (One only)**

**A. **Sharingan

**B. **Byukugan

**2.Demons (One only)**

**A. **Fire

**B. **Water

**C. **Air

**D. **Earth

**3.Transformations**

**A. **Cursed Seal

**B. **Chakra Gates

**C. **Demonic Forms **(must take demon)**

**D. **Body Enlargement

**E. **Henge

**4. Genjutsu**

**A. **Feather Sleep

**B. **Bunshin

**C. **Environmental Transformation Illusion

**5. Ninjutsu**

**A. **Kage Bunshin

**B. **Chidori

**C. **Rasengen

**D. **Art of the Valentine

**E. **Shadow Art

**F. **Divine Ultimate Defense

**G. **Dragon Rising

**H. **Twin Dragons Rising

**I. **Kawarami

**J. **Chakra Healing **(med nin ability) **(A/N 'Nin nin!' Mike: Quiet, Flonne!)

**6. Taijutsu**

**A. **Konoha Hurricane

**B. **Gentle Fist

**C. **Lion Combo

**D. **Shadow Dance

**E. **Lotus **(must take Chakra Gates)**

**7. Specific Character Copy List (One only)**

**A. **Neji

**B. **Haku

**C. **Kabuto

**D. **Tenten

**E. **Sasuke

**F. **Naruto

**G. **Gaara

**H. **Lee

**I. **Jiraya

**J. **Tsunade

**K. **Shikamaru

**L. **Choji

**M. **Kiba

**N. **Shino

Other abilities will be available upon level up.

Please choose three (3) abilities.

"Alright. Hmmm. I've always wanted to have a demon. The Byukugan is friggin' cool. And I'd love to have Lee's taijutsu. We'll start with those." I moved the cursor to demon. "Now, what kind? Hmmm. Fire sounds good."

Character Creation complete. Press start to continue.

I pressed start, and everything went black…

End Chapter 1: Dreamers

**Mech:** So, let's see how you liked this.

**Mitsune:** If you would be ever so kind to press the 'review' button and tell us your thoughts, we would be SOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY!

**Sanosuke:** If you give him a bad review, OR any flames, I'll personally come kick your…

**Mech:** Now, now. That's not nice. Sanosuke.

**Sanosuke:** #! nice! Like I care.

**Flonne: **Now, now. You shouldn't swear. It's not proper.

**Squall: **Will you all please shut up. I'm trying to sleep.

**Mitsune: **Aww, come on, sourpuss.

**Squall: **…Whatever…

**Ryu: **jumps in Please review. Reviews are still yummy!


	2. Awakening

**World of Naruto**

**Disclaimer: **No own Naruto. You know the drill.

**Mech: **Please understand, this is my first fanfic. Things might not go 'quite' as people want them to, and I have a twisted imagination. So, bear with me.

**Ryu: **pokes her head in Yeah. Be happy you don't live with him. It's fun!

**Mech: **holds head Ohh, my head.

**Ryu: **That sound means: It's time for me to depart. Turns and bolts RUUUUNNNNNNN!

**Mech: **Bunny bunny bunny bunny bunny bunny bunny bunny…

**Flonne: **Bunny? confused Flonne look

**Mech: **MachinaRabbit!

Energizer bunny walks across screen

**Chapter 2: Awakening**

Ever had a dream? A dream…that was so real…you couldn't tell…if you were still asleep…or if you had awoken?

I opened my eyes onto a completely new horizon. There I was, a minute ago, sitting in my room, holding a SS2 controller. Now, there I was, standing outside a small village.

"Ugh…what happened?" I looked around. "Hmmm. Maybe I fell asleep."

I saw the gates to the village ahead of me. Having not many other options, I began to walk slowly toward the village. I watched about me, taking in the clean azure sky, the deep green of the forest, the fluffy clouds above me, and silently screamed out for a cigarette.

As I got closer, I started to recognize buildings and places, but the name escapes me. I'm sure I've seen this village before. I enter the village, trying to remember.

As I pass a small hut selling dango mochi, I see a familiar face. I looked closer.

"Sasuke?"

The young man turns, looks at me, and snarls.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you it's impolite to mess with someone while they're eating?" he said, turning back to his mochi.

"Well, you don't have to get all indignant. Jeez…" I hopped up to the seat next to him, and accidentally overturned the plate, spilling the mochi on the dirt floor. "Oh, crikey."

His eye began to twitch as he turned to face me. "I'm going to kick your ASS!" His hand moved back, very slowly.

"Uh-oh."

Strange music started to play in my head, as, with lightning quick speed, his hand moved towards me.

I had time for only a thought before he struck: Battle music?

As I went flying backwards, some sort of "heads up" display popped up in front of my face: FIGHT, RUN, MENU.

Hmmm, I thought. Why not? Let's fight. I reached out, and passed my hand through the FIGHT command.

After a slightly bumpy landing on the dirt street, I found my feet. I turned just in time to see a very upset Sasuke, rearing back for another hit. I ducked just in time to avoid the hit, and used the split second that he went off balance to move.

Now, what fighting did I choose? Oh, yeah! I smiled in his general direction, and took stance.

Let's see, what else did I pick? My thoughts raced as Sasuke gained balance and turned towards me again. My thoughts stopped on my second ability. My smile grew for a moment. He stopped, confused.

I concentrated for a few moments, until I felt the power flowing. Then I opened my eyes.

"Byukugan!"

Sasuke stopped dead, staring at me with a look of utter confusion.

"Huh? Nothing happened. Crap!" I looked over at Sasuke with a bit more worry. Suddenly, a hand grabbed my by my collar and hauled me off the ground.

" I see you're being a nuisance again, Riso," said the voice attached to the hand. "You're turning out more and more like your dad everyday." The hand turned me around.

I looked up to see a pale face topped by a shock of red hair. My eyes widened.

"G…G…Gaara!" I had started to struggle. I ceased all attempts immediately. I concentrated on making myself as small and meek looking as possible, while also trying not to wet myself.

Gaara looked at Sasuke. "I'm going to drop this little kitten back off at his porch. Would you like to come and…do whatever it was you were going to do to him there?"

Sasuke stalked over. "I'm going."

They turned, Gaara still holding me, and moved down the street.

We stopped in front of a huge gate, behind which grounds filled with trees and buildings lay beneath a large house on a hill. Realization flowed into me.

"Wait a second." I struggled until Gaara dropped me. "This is taller than it should be." I looked down. "Hey, I'm a lot closer to the ground than I should be."

Sasuke leaned down, venom in his voice. "Would you like me to make you a lot closer to the sky?"

"No, no, no! Close to the ground is fine. I like the ground!" I backed away.

Gaara went to the guard at the gate. "We are here to see Hyuuga-sama and the Hokage."

My eyes widened again. "Did…did you just say H…H…Hyuuga?"

Gaara spoke without looking at me. "Yes. Your parents."

Wait, I thought. He just said Hyuuga-sama and the Hokage. My eyes widened further. Hinata and Naruto are my parents! I'm so screwed.

I attempted to back away slowly, only to be grabbed my the collar. "Oh, no. You aren't getting out of this." Sasuke smiled down at me.

"Of course, Gaara-san, Uchiha-san. Please, come in. They are at the main house." The guard opened the gates and bowed.

"Thank you. Come on, pipsqueak."

Sasuke shoved me forward and we began to walk to the main house.

We walked in to the house, and looked around. We had entered in the living room and found my parents sitting on the couch. Hinata looked up in mild surprise.

"Gaara-kun, Sasuke-kun, to what do we owe this pleasure?" She looked at me. "Oh, perhaps I don't need to ask."

Sasuke stepped forward. "Your klutzy son dropped my ENTIRE plate of dango mochi on the ground! You know dango mochi only comes around once a year!"

Hinata looked up at him. "Oh, is that all? I just made a huge batch of dango mochi. You can…" A Sasuke-colored blur whipped past her. She looked the direction he went. "…have some if you want."

Gaara just shook his head. "Baka."

Hinata smiled at Gaara. "I apologize for any trouble Riso may have caused." She turned towards me and gave me the "Look".

I shuddered and moved out of her line of vision. Looking around, I saw a sparkly spot on the floor. I moved into it. A display popped up in front of me again.

GAME SAVED

Suddenly, I felt someone shaking me. The world before me went black. I opened my eyes. Brooke was standing over me, amusement in her eyes.

"Mike, were you sleep playing?" she giggled.

I looked at the screen. On it was a young boy, about 10, standing on a sparkly circle on the ground inside what looked to be a living room, looking out at me. Spiky blonde hair and green eyes stared at me. I looked up at Brooke.

"You have GOT to try this game!"

**Chapter 2: Awakening **end.

My part comes up soon, right?

**Mech: **Yeah, it does, doesn't it?

**Flonne: **She's a scary demon, scarier than Etna!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

**Squall: **…whatever, losers.

**Sanosuke: **Don't worry, little girl, any chick that hot can't be dangerous!

Random noises of violence

**Sanosuke: **I stand corrected. collapses

**Mitsune: **Please remember to give credit, Mech.

**Mech: **Oh, yeah, special thanks to SabakunoRyu: typist, roommate, editor, and co-conspirator.


	3. Party Complete

World of Naruto

Chapter 3: Party Complete

I jumped off the couch, grabbed Brooke's hand, and pulled her toward the door. "Come on!"

Brooke snapped up her keys and wallet as we passed by the table. "Um, Mike? Where are we going, exactly?" She didn't protest as I pulled her out the door, pausing for a moment to allow her to lock the door.  
"Game Hop. This game supports 5 players. We need a multi-tap." I started pulling her toward her truck.

"Shouldn't we leave a note for the boys?" She paused for a moment to get my answer.

"No. We'll be gone only a few minutes, and this way, we can be ready when they get home." I pulled on her hand hard and quick, nearly pulling her off her feet.

She regained her balance and shrugged. "Ok. But if they get mad, I'm blaming you. I don't need them yelling at me after last night." She climbed into the truck.

"That's fine. But trust me, when we start playing, if they were mad, they'll completely forget about it." I buckled up and fidgeted impatiently, waiting for her to start the truck. "Now, come on, let's go!"

She started the truck. "Alright, alright, relax. We're going"  
We started off, and I turned to her. "Alright, alright, relax. We're going."

As we started down the street, I turned to her. "Does anyone have to work tonight?"

She shook her head, ponytail flapping. "Nope. Everyone has the night off."

I smiled. "Perfect."

Within the hour, four of the five of us were sitting in the living room. Rob was at work for another 10 minutes. People were starting to look bored with waiting, so I made a quick decision.

"How 'bout you three make up characters now? That way, when Rob gets home, all we have to wait for is him to make up his." I held the first-player controller eagerly. I was anxious to get started again.  
Brooke shrugged. "Ok. Well, since I'm 'player two', I'll go first. But, everyone turn around. This way, our abilities will be a surprise when we use them." There were a few minor arguments, but Brooke stood her ground. We all turned around and Brooke went to work.

"Ok, name. Ah, this'll work." I heard her move the controller for her name. She hit the continue button and mumbled to herself.

"Hmm. Skills. Well, this one's obvious. Definitely this one. Hmmm, what can I do for the last one? Hmm. Why not?" I heard the sound that indicated that her character was done.

She turned as Andrew chose his name and abilities, and Russell finished it up. As soon as he had finished, everyone turned to face the screen again.

"Ok, can we start now?" asked Russell.

"I thought we were waiting for Rob." said Brooke. Looking at her, I saw that she was just as anxious to get going as everyone else.

"Yeah, why not? Rob can jump in when he gets home," I decided. I looked around at everyone else. "Get ready for the ride of your lives." I pressed start, and the world went black again…

I 'woke' up standing on the sparkly spot on the living room floor, and looked around again. Everything was the same as before. I moved toward the common area of the living room, and saw Hinata graciously walking with Sasuke and Gaara, talking quietly. Child-like as I was, curiosity overcame me and I moved toward them, wanting to be a part of the conversation. Suddenly, a hand grabbed my collar and yanked me out of the room, shutting the door to the living room as I was pulled down a hallway. A voice accompanied the quick travel.

"Riso, son, do you have a death wish?"

The movement stopped and I was turned around, looking into the big blue eyes of my dad, Naruto.

"Because that's what'll happen if you go out there. Or have you forgotten what you did today?"

I gulped. In all the excitement of coming back, I had completely forgotten about Sasuke and the mochi. "Oh, yeah," I whispered.

"Besides, I have a job for you. Uncle Neji is flipping out because his daughter hasn't come home from training with her cell yet. Gaara and Shino's sons have returned home, but she is still not here. Tenten is sure that she's fine, but Neji is worried sick. You remember all the stories that we've told you about what's happening with the branch family members, right?" Naruto's eyes, unusually serious, bored into my own.

Memories rushed into my mind. In the past 15 years, someone had been hunting down branch members, presumably to gain the secrets to the Byukugan. Stories about how branch family members committed suicide when captured alive to keep the secrets of the Byukugan from the enemy. The seals that they all still bore wiped all known memory or the Byukugan from their bodies, hence the reason that so many were attempted to be captured alive. To make things worse, another group seemed insistent on killing every last member of the branch family. The branch family was being hunted. Suddenly, a memory found my consciousness that stopped me cold. I remembered a story that my aunt Tenten had told me just recently, when I had asked about the constant worry that Uncle Neji was under. When she was six months old, my cousin, someone whom I had gotten so close to I called big sister, had been kidnapped. Someone had managed to break into the house, into her room, and take her into the night. After a half-day's search, they found her and killed all involved. However, Neji was taking no more chances. He installed thick wooden lattice all around the inside of her room, effectively turning it into a cage. She was escorted to school and training, and, if she was not there or bathing, she had been kept locked in that room. Her meals were brought to her, and she wanted for nothing, as Neji bought her everything that he could think of to keep her happy. But the one thing that she wanted most of all, she told me once, was to be free. I used to come over to her house and sit outside the door and talk to her to keep her company, since no one but Uncle Neji, Aunt Tenten, Mom or Dad were allowed inside. Finally, on the day she graduated the Ninja Academy and became a genin, Uncle Neji removed the cage and her restrictions.

However, there was only one memory that wasn't there, and that was going to cause a problem. I couldn't remember what she looked like. I was about to tell my dad I had other plans when I heard a rumble coming from the living room. My eyes widened.

"Alright, I'm out of here!" I said, running outside. I had gotten to the gate when I heard my mom's voice:  
"RISO"  
Gulping, I ran towards the center of the village.

As I was walking toward the village, another 'head's up' display flashed in front of me.

GAME PARTY COMPLETE

CHANGING REALITY STATUS TO LEVEL 10

HAVE FUN AND GOOD LUCK!

"Huh. I guess Rob jumped in too." I cocked my head to the side for a minute. "I wonder what 'reality status' means?" I shrugged and started towards the village once again, the display forgotten in a few moments.

Once in the village, I started to look around. "Well, I'm not exactly sure who I'm looking for, but she's a genin, and I assume that she has the Byukugan, so we'll start there," I said to myself. I started looking at every female genin that walked by. There were a few pretty ones, but none with the Byukugan. I looked around and something caught my eye. I couldn't help but stop and stare. A genin stood there, facing me, chatting with anther female genin. She had long, brown hair pulled up into two long, HUGE pigtails high on her head. She had one of her pigtails in her hand, and was wrapping the end of it around an extremely sharp looking kunai. The other pigtail hung down, trailing at least a foot of hair on the ground. I couldn't tell if she had the Byukugan, because she had a pair of dark goggles over her eyes, but at that point my mission had basically been forgotten. A dark green hitae covered her forehead. She was wearing a black sleeveless shirt and black pants. Dark green vines and leaves print wrapped around the outfit. The shirt was tight, revealing that she was beginning to fill out, and the pants hugged her hips before becoming baggy and loose. As I stood and stared, she finished with the first pigtail and worked on the other. In a matter of moments, she was finished. Looking near her feet, I saw the kunai dangling less than an inch above the ground, with the last foot or so of hair wrapped tightly around the handle. The other girl walked away and she began to look around, almost seeming slightly lost.

What the heck, I thought. I moved towards her. I mean, this is just a game, right? What harm can this do?

"Hey, pretty lady," I said as I sidled up next to her. "What say you and I go get some dango mochi and explore puberty together?" As I spoke, danger gripped me and I grabbed her ass.

Her head whipped around. "Why you little rat! If you don't move your hand, the amount of medical attention you'll need will keep your grandchildren in debt!"

I hastily removed my hand. "Wow, the AI on this game is really advanced!" I mumbled to myself.

As I turned to go, I felt a danger sense in me go off. I turned to see her clench her fists.

"Did you just say GAME?" she asked, tone red. "Which one are you"  
My eyes widened. "Oooops, gotta go…uh, bye!"

I turned to run and felt my collar wrenched back until my back was pressed up against her front.

"Mike, when we get outta this, you are soooo dead." she whispered in my ear.

I pulled away from her and turned around. "Brooke?"

She looked around, then pulled me off to a secluded place behind some bushes. Looking around one more time, she pulled the goggles down around her neck and looked at me. Her face was quite pretty. But what stopped me in my tracks were her eyes. The pale lavender-white of the Byukugan stared back at me. Suddenly, all the missing memories flooded back. She was my branch family protector, the member assigned to make sure nothing happened to me. I remembered standing next to her for the first time when we graduated the Ninja Academy together and her cage was removed. The fact that she started wearing the goggles to hide her eyes to avoid being hunted. I even remembered her name.

"Nami?"

She smiled at me. "So, you finally got all your memories? Mine decided to blindside me as soon as I got here, Riso." She ruffled my hair. "You know, you're a cute kid. But, no more hitting on your big sis, ok?" She smiled.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH! Giant bugs!"

"Forgive me if I'm wrong, but isn't this a Naruto game, not a B-movie?" I asked, cocking my head. But Nami had already run towards the disturbance. As I started to chase after her, the full realization of what happened hit. I had just hit on my cousin!

We got to a housing district and saw what was causing such a ruckus.  
"What the hell! Now I think I've really flipped my wig!" A six foot tall bug was walking around, asking for directions.

It walked up to a guy and asked him, "Could you tell me where to find my masters friend, Riso? It is very important that I speak with him." The guy pointed at me, then ran away screaming, a dark stain spreading across his pants. The thing walked toward me.

"Master Ryuko requests your presence, Riso." What else could I do? I followed him, Nami trailing behind. About a block later, we saw another kid, lying on his back, a butterfly perched on his finger. He had spiky brownish-blond hair and was wearing a pair of sunglasses. He had on a pair of shorts and a high collared coat. Upon seeing him, memories flooded my head again.

He was Ryuko, son of a leaf nin and a sand nin. His father, Shino could control bugs, while his mother, Temari used a giant fan. Their child inherited the ability to house the bugs in his body, plus developed random abilities by working with different teachers. But who knew he could make his bugs grow? When I thought about it, I realized the only person this could be.

"Hey, Andrew, what's up?"

"Ahh, so he found you. Good work, then. Hey, is that… Brooke"  
Nami shook her head, pigtails shimmying. "No. My name is Hyuuga Nami, just as this is Hyuuga Riso and YOU are Aburame Ryuko." Nami shot Ryuko a look.

Ryuko shrugged. "I get it. But…what happened to you!"

Nami looked confused.

"You look all…scary."

I watched Nami's eyes get wide. But she smiled. "I don't know whether to take that as an insult or a compliment."

I popped up. "Definitely a compliment. You've got that hot, ass-kicking chick look to you."

Ryuko chuckled. "Oh, so you're into young girls now, Mike?"

I bristled. "It's Riso. And Nami's two years older than me!"

"And your cousin, don't forget," Nami chimed in. "Ototo-kun."

"Don't take it like that," I said. "I'm not hitting on you…again."

Nami whirled around to face me. "So, you're saying I'm not cute enough to hit on?"

I waved off. "No, no, n…Ow!" Something had just pegged me in the back of the head.

Nami looked confused. "What? I didn't hit you…yet."

A voice floated from behind me. "Why can't you guys stop flirting with anything with two legs that doesn't share your sex? Or is that the M.O. of this place?"

I watched Nami's eyes go wide again. She pulled up her goggles to hide her eyes. "Where are you?"

"I'm up here for crying out loud."

The three of us (and the giant bug) looked up into a nearby tree. After a second, a figure with waist length silver hair and bright red eyes emerged. Nami sighed and removed her goggles again.

"Geez, Suisaiga. You scared me." She shook her head. "And what's with the attitude? You're never like this at home, Russell."

I popped up again. "Yes he is." I lowered my voice. "Funking prink." (A/N Ryu: Cookie points to whoever can identify that line!)

All of the sudden, I felt a presence next to me and I was lifted up by my collar…again.

"What was that?" Suisaiga pulled me closer.

"Um…nothing."

"Hey, um…guys? Where the hell are we?" Another voice popped up. Turning, we saw a tall young man with black hair and bright turquoise eyes. "All I know was I came home, was attacked by a controller, and then I ended up here."

Nami smiled. "We're inside the game, I think, Kama."

"Oh, ok."

We sat down in a circle. Nami opened the conversation.

"So, what now? Do we just live here like we were meant to, or do we try to get back home?"

Ryuko shook his head. "I wish SOMEONE…" He looked at me. "Would have warned us about this. It would have made things a bit easier."

I smiled. "But that would have ruined the whole surprise thing. By the way…Surprise!" I got a serious look. "Besides, I came here without knowing what was going on."

"So there you all are." A female voice broke in.

Nami slammed on her goggles while the rest of us turned to face the voice. Nami turned a split second later. Then, she sighed.

"Geez, mom. Freak us out much, ne?" said Nami as she removed her goggles again.

"You know," I spoke up. "You should just leave those things off. They're more trouble than they're worth."

Tenten smiled. "Riso-chan, you know why she wears them, although I think that she can do without them now." She turned to Nami. "You're strong now. You can take care of yourself, no matter what your father thinks." She turned back to me. "And besides, Riso-chan, you shouldn't be talking about trouble, what with what you did this morning"  
I gulped. "So, you know about that, huh?"

Tenten laughed. "Riso, the whole village knows. It's not easy to keep a secret here." She turned to Nami once again. "In fact, Nami." Nami looked up at her mother. "Give me the goggles. You no longer need them."

Nami looked worried, but did as her mother asked and handed over the goggles. "There we go. You have a very pretty face, so show it more"  
Nami got a frightened, deer in the headlights look. She lifted her hand and pointed over my shoulder, then hid behind Tenten, not as though it would work. Tenten stood there, with a set of large pigtails coming out of her sides. I turned around and saw one of my best friends, Sabaku no Ikari.

"Hey guy, what's up?"

"Not much, just checking up on Nami. Dad told me that Neji-san was freaking out and blowing stuff up cause he thought she got lost. Or at least that's how dad put it. Nami, are you alright?"

Tenten skipped out of the way to reveal a wide eyed and blushing Nami. "Y…Y…Yeah, I'm fine."

"Wow," he said, eyes widening. "You look very pretty without your goggles on. You have beautiful eyes."

All I saw then was a blur as Nami ran towards home. "Riso, can you tell me why she doesn't like me?" Ikari asked with what looked like a tear in his eye.

"Dood, she's got a bigger crush on you than mom had on dad. She just doesn't think she can compare with any of the rest of the girls struggling to get your attention."

Ikari blushed. "Ero-sennin said to try the direct compliment route, especially when it comes to their eyes. Sakura-san and Ino-san have been trying to help, but I just can't seem to get through to her"  
Tenten giggled. "Riso, come here. I have a wonderful idea." I walked over to her, and she leaned over and whispered in my ear. After a minute, I laughed and said, "That will be my pleasure. I've been waiting to try that out, anyway."

I took off, catching up to the winded Nami. I stood behind her, and without letting her know I was there, took stance. I first activated my transformation technique, making myself look like Ikari. Then I used Kage-Bunshin, making about twenty copies of myself.

"Nami-chan, will you go out with us?"

Nami turned around and her jaw dropped. Then she assumed the look of doom. "Riso, this is the dirtiest trick you have ever pulled in your entire life! I am going to put you into the ground!'

She started to attack the Bunshins, until she hit one that didn't go poof. She attacked one coming up behind her, and it was me. My copies disappeared, and I transferred back to normal form. However, there was still one Ikari left. She looked back and forth between me and Ikari with a look of utter horror. Ikari looked at her and smiled. "You are a very tough opponent as well as being pretty. But you never answered my question," he said, blushing. "Will you go out with me?"

I sat up a bit. "I tried, man. Geez, you both like each other, go out! I mean, you both have been spying on each other for months."

Nami tried to duck and run, but she got hauled in by the pigtails by a highly amused Tenten. "Now, now, my little one, don't you think you owe this young man an answer to his question?" Tenten asked gently. She looked down at Nami. Nami's cheeks looked as though they had roses growing out of them. She looked over to Ikari, whose face wasn't much better. "Nah, tell you what. Ikari? A quiet dinner tomorrow night sound nice?" She looked at him and he managed a nod. "Yes? Good. It's a first date then!" Tenten giggled. "We'll make sure that you two have plenty of time…alone."

I laughed as we all walked our separate ways, headed for our homes away from home.

End chapter 3

: Am I being patient enough for you?

Mech: Yes, your patience is impeccable. Don't worry though, it shouldn't be too much longer.

Mitsune: So when do you think people will notice?

Mech: What?

Mitsune: Gaara's kid is a wuss.

Flonne: He's not a wuss, He just understands the power of true love, hehehe.

Squall: Love is for fools, and he is a wuss.

Mech: Zip it grumpy, you won't think he's a wuss after he gets pissed. He's a helpless romantic, is all. 


	4. Revelations

World of Naruto

Mech: Man, I'm really going to hate doing this.  
Ryu: You think YOU'RE going to hate it…pouts  
Mech: Everyone likes this guy. I really don't want to make him antagonist number one.  
Ryu: sighs But…it'll definitely add some interesting quirks to the story itself.  
Mech: Let's just get started before I change my mind.

Chapter 4: Revelations

I woke up to another beautiful day, with a not so beautiful voice telling me to get the hell out of bed. "Riso! Wake up! We've got a mission!" I opened my door, still half awake and in my pajamas, to see Suisaiga standing outside of it, in pre-coffee mode. He looked like he got up on the wrong side of the village, let alone the bed.  
"Why do they have to get us up at SIX O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING!" Suisaiga growled dangerously. A hand landed on Suisaiga's shoulder from behind. "Because," said the voice, "I'M Hokage, and I say when people wake up"  
Suddenly, Nami rushed by, her hair flowing, taking up the entirety of the hallway. "Crap! I'm late AGAIN!" She rushed by, hair smacking random objects and people.  
Naruto watched her run out the door. "Except for her. Murisai is nuts, getting his genin up at 4." Suisaiga watched her go, eyes wide. "I take it back. Six is a good time to get up"  
I turned to Naruto. "So, what's the mission, pops"  
He turned back to me, eyes serious. "We're sending both of your cells out today, yours and Nami's. Class A mission"  
Suisaiga and I stared at him. Suisaiga caught his voice first.  
"Class A"  
Naruto looked down. "Yes. I usually wouldn't send genin out on such a mission, but there's no one else, and this is top priority. That's why I'm sending both cells. Besides," he smiled and winked. "I think the six of you can handle it."

Within a half an hour, the six of us, Suisaiga, Kama, and I, and Nami, Ikari, and Ryuko, and our sensei's Murisai and Senketo had gathered at the obstacle training course. Naruto had met us there. "This mission is pretty straightforward." He started. "There are currently three renegade nin in the forest due northeast of the village. Your objective: Eliminate them on sight. Return and give me your report." He nodded. "That is all. Good luck, all six of you." He turned and left.  
"Wait. Six of us?" Kama wondered aloud. He turned to Murisai and Senketo. "You aren't coming"  
The shook their heads. "No, we have another mission to attend to," said Murisai.  
"You six must handle this on your own," added Senketo. They nodded at us and took off, leaving the six of us standing alone.  
"Well," I started. "I think we should split up. Two person cells should be sufficient"  
"That's not a bad idea." Nami nodded. "That way, there's two of us to every one of them, in case we meet one on the way"  
"It'll also help to keep them together," added Ikari. "This way, one of them can't escape while we are all fighting the other two"  
"Alright. Nami, Ikari. You two are one team." They nodded. "Ryuko, you go with Suisaiga. Kama, you're with me." I said, taking control.  
"Alright. Let's get going. Some of us have plans later," said Ikari, glancing at Nami. She blushed momentarily.  
Regaining her voice, Nami spoke. "Ok. Ryuko and Suisaiga, take the right flank. Ikari and I will take the left. Riso, you and Kama are center"  
"Got it"  
"Let's go!"

I moved through the trees, anxious to get to the action. Occasionally, I would glance back at Kama. Each time I did, though, it seemed he was getting further and further behind me. I didn't think anything of it, knowing that he would catch up without much difficulty. Finally, I looked back and didn't see Kama at all. Knowing that we had covered quite a bit of ground, I decided to stop and wait for him to catch up. I paused on a tree, and looked around. No noticeable enemies or enemy signatures, I thought to myself. This seems like a good place to stop. I stood, stretching, for about 5 minutes before I got a bit worried. "I wonder why he hasn't shown up yet?" I wondered aloud. I looked around again, taking in a bit more detail than I had before. That's when I realized something. "Uh-oh"  
In my excitement, I hadn't realized that I hadn't been staying on course. I had wanted so badly to get to the fight that I had been straying left. Something hit me. I'd never been here before. A thought broke into my head.  
I'm LOST!  
I panicked for a moment, until my senses gripped me again. "Wait a minute. If I moved left, then I should be getting close to where Ikari and Nami went through. I'll just keep moving toward the target. I'll run into them eventually." I said aloud, as if attempting to get myself calmed down again. That being decided, I continued on.

About 10 minutes later, I spotted a clearing up ahead. I slowed my progress, and stopped at the edge of the clearing. Scanning around, I didn't see any enemies or traps. I moved into the clearing, noting the beautiful flowers abundant and waving in the breeze. As I reached the center of the clearing, something caught my eye near the edge of the clearing.  
No.  
I moved closer, almost not of my own will.  
NO.  
I got closer, and became riveted in position.  
NO!

End Chapter 4: Revelations

Ryu: Stopping there was my idea! giggles evilly  
Mech: You are SOO mean!  
Ryu: And…It was a choice, and I made it…so sticks out her tongue  
Mech: You…have…no conscience.  
Ryu: Etna smile I know.  
Squall: You're evil.  
Flonne: confused look You look like someone I know.  
Mech: Now, we can't be like DBZ and keep them waiting another four episodes for this.  
Ryu: disgusted look Like I would EVER do that! 


	5. Heart of Danger

World of Naruto

Ryu: Ok, people ready?  
: It's time to have some fun.  
Mech: Uh-oh, she's ready.  
Sanosuke: She looks even scarier than before.  
Ryu: Don't know…don't really care either.  
Gaara: Hey! I'm back from vac…WHAT THE HELL?  
Ryu: Yay! You're back!  
Gaara: I…have…a KID?  
Flonne: Awwww…you make a cute daddy!  
Gaara: Sabaku!  
Ryu: Gaara-kun! Be nice!  
Mech: This is just getting even weirder!  
Squall: …Whatever…

Chapter 5: Heart of Danger

NO!  
My mind stopped thinking. I stood for a moment, unable to move. I was staring at a sight that I could never have imagined, even in my darkest dreams. Shaking off the paralysis, I started moving forward slowly, disbelief written on my face.  
It was Nami. She hung, at least 5 feet from the ground, wires cutting into her wrists. Blood dripped from her fingers, as the wires had broken skin. Another wire hung around her throat, a bit of slack in it. She was unconscious, head hanging down, but I noticed the muscles in her arms still taut. Even in unconsciousness, she held herself up. As I watched, one of the muscles twitched. A thought raced through my mind.  
She's losing. If she stops holding on, she'll die!  
Shaking off the last of my paralysis, I moved up into the trees. I sliced the wire attaching her throat to the branch above, then cut the ones holding her wrists. She fell to the ground.  
I jumped down and pulled her shoulders onto my lap. As her hair fell back, my eyes widened. Her face was bruised, an eye swollen. She had a cut down one cheek. Blood seeped from it, slowly, painting a trail down her face, showing me a little of what had happened. Her hair was disheveled, and one of the ever-present kunai that were constantly in her hair was missing. Someone had beaten the hell out of her, but she was still alive. Looking over the rest of her, there were a few cuts and bruises, but nothing as acute as her face. As I looked down at her, something moved in the brush next to me. I looked, and saw a badger gnawing on something. Lowering Nami from my lap, I moved over, kunai ready, and saw the most disgusting and freaky thing I had ever seen.  
It was a man, or at least, most of one. He was completely unmarked, except for a huge hole, right about where his heart would have been. I looked past him. About three feet away lay little bits of tissue and heart. Something among them caught my eye. It was a scrunched up piece of metal. I recognized what it had been. A senbon needle. I looked at the man, then the tissue, then back at Nami. Stooping, I picked up the remains of the needle. Then I saw the hitae, and something inside me snapped. It was one of the renegade nin we had been sent to exterminate. I moved back to Nami and looked at her again. Rage built. "They will PAY"  
I picked Nami up and put her on my back. I looked around for any signs of a trail, and found some disturbed branches. I followed the path the bastards had so graciously left me, screaming in my rage.  
"I WILL MAKE YOU PAY"  
As I came upon another clearing, I saw two figures dressed completely in black. They seemed to be waiting for me. I set Nami down, and turned to them.  
"You are the ones responsible, aren't you? You did this, DIDN'T YOU"  
"Yeah, so what?" one of them leered. "What's a little worm like you gonna do about it"  
"I will kill you," I growled, as a strange change began to envelope me. I began to stretch, growing almost to adult height, my hair turning pure black.  
"Shit man, look at his eyes! He has the Byukugan too!" one of the nin shouts. "The veins are popping out all over his face"  
"I will not stop until I rip you apart. There won't be anything left for the coroner to identify when I get done with you!" I screamed as I charged the first guy. I moved so fast, there was no time for him to react.  
I hit him in the jaw with an uppercut punch that sent him flying. Before he could land, I was there, ready to hit him again, and again, and again. I lost myself in the rage, letting my body take control. A strange female voice in my head whispered with glee. "It's been a long time since I tasted blood. Let's enjoy this!" it said, as I licked my opponents blood from my hand.  
The other ninja grabbed his fallen comrade and started to run. I went to chase after them, but someone grabbed my arm. Seemingly drawn by my shout, everyone else was there. Suisaiga held my arm, looking into my eyes. Ikari had picked up Nami, eyes sad, helpless as he held her close.  
"We can catch them later. We need to get her to the hospital. This game is seeming to be less fun than we first thought." he said, as he pulled me away.  
"Game?" I asked, confused.  
"Never mind, we need to get back," he insisted.  
"You're right," I said, then I collapsed.

I woke up surrounded by white. Voices, fuzzy at first, cleared. "He'll be fine. He just pushed himself too hard." A soft female voice spoke.  
A familiar voice responded. "That's good," said Naruto. "But what about her"  
"She's going to need rest." The voice's demeanor changed. "She ran herself out of chakra, in addition to being hurt. Until her wounds heal, I wouldn't recommend her training. Her wrists are badly injured"  
My eyes focused. Naruto, Tenten, and Neji were standing next to my bed, talking to one of the med nins. Suddenly, there was commotion in the hallway.  
"I don't GIVE a damn if there are other patients to see, I have a CERTAIN one to attend to!" a voice in the hallway stormed.  
The door slammed open, and Hinata stood in the doorway. Seeing me, she rushed over, nearly shoving Naruto into the bed next to me.  
"Riso, are you ok?" She began bustling around, checking everything to make sure I wasn't badly hurt. When she was satisfied, she sat on the bed and hugged me. "I was so worried about you, I came as soon as I heard"  
My mind struggled to remember the mission. Suddenly, a thought made me sit straight up. I turned to my mom.  
"Mom, where's Nami?" I grabbed her arm. "Is she ok"  
Hinata looked over at Naruto. "Nami's hurt"  
Naruto and the med nin looked down. "Yeah, she was caught alone"  
Hinata stood up quickly. "Where is she"  
Naruto pointed to the other bed, where Tenten and Neji had moved. Both Hinata and I looked over. My eyes widened.  
Nami lay there, eyes closed. Her hair was down, spilling off the bed and puddling on the floor. Bandages were wrapped around her wrists and throat. Another bandage covered one eye and her opposite cheek. Her breathing was steady, but fitful. Ikari was sleeping, his head on his arms, arms on the bed, holding Nami's hand.  
"How long have we been here?" I asked.  
"Only about 20 minutes. Everyone else has refused to go home until they hear how you two are doing." He motioned to Ikari. "He's refusing to go home at all"  
The door opened again. Gaara stood there, Ryuko, Suisaiga, and Kama looking in around him.  
"Gaara. What brings you here"  
"Just checking on Ikari." He looked over at his son, taking in the sight. Then he smiled. "Well, he looks ok." He turned to Hinata. "Please make sure he eats. I have the feeling he won't be home until she gets released. I hope you don't mind, but I don't want to disturb him." He glanced at his son again, and walked out of the room.  
Ryuko, Kama, and Suisaiga came to my bed, worry clouding their features.  
"How are you? Are you feeling ok?" Kama asked. I nodded, and moved out of bed. "I'm fine. I just pushed myself too hard"  
"Understandable. But," Suisaiga looked over at Nami. "What made you snap so hard"  
Naruto looked over. "Yes. Please give me a report"  
I looked over at Nami. "They strung her up by her wrists, with WIRE. There was another wire around her throat." Everyone's eyes widened. "She was holding herself up even though she was unconscious. They beat the hell out of her, and left her there to DIE"  
Naruto looked down. Hinata put a hand to her mouth.  
"I shouldn't have sent you. If I'd known…" Naruto stumbled over his words.  
"Oh, I think the problem was that one trapped Ikari, then went after her." I pulled the senbon out of a pocket. "Not like they escaped unscathed." I held the mashed piece of metal up. "I found this amid the remains of one of the nin's heart. She blew a hole in his chest as big as my head." People's eyes widened again. Then, Tenten laughed. Hard. She doubled over, tears streaming down her cheeks. Neji looked down at his daughter, a smile of pride spreading slowly across his face. "That's my girl!" said Tenten. She walked over to me. "May I have that? I think I'm going to have it turned into a choker for her." I handed the chunk of metal over to my aunt. Then, I looked over at Nami again. Tenten's laughter had woken Ikari. We explained how I found her again. His eyes widened when he was told how she had been strung up, but a smile lit his face when I told him how she killed one of the nins.  
"Well, at least she got her share in," Ikari smiled. "If only"  
"If only what?" I asked.  
"They were ready for us. They had set a pit trap, and I was hopelessly entangled in some kind of web. She went to find you guys to help, then I heard an explosion. Then I didn't hear anything else until I heard you. Damn it"  
"Hey, don't beat yourself over the head with it man. It could have been any of us. I'm just glad Riso has such a crappy sense of direction." Kama said, with a wry little smile.  
Everybody was ushered out as visiting hours ended, and it was just Nami and me left in the room. I got up, wincing from the pain as I caused over stressed muscles to function. I walked over to Nami's bed and stroked her hair.  
"I will kill the ones responsible for this, I swear it." Suddenly, I heard a voice in my head. It was a female voice, low and sensual.  
"So, little one, do you desire revenge? Do you feel in your heart the stirrings of a fiery rage? Can you muster the courage to do what must be done in order to destroy your enemies"  
"Of course! I'm ready for anything, anytime!" I shouted in my head.  
"Then come to me, and together we shall make this body strong"  
I closed my eyes as I felt an embrace from behind.  
And then I passed out.

Mech: You can stop glomping me now.  
: But you're so cuddly.  
Ryu: I don't need to hear that…ESPECIALLY since you are…just…a…muse…in…the…mind…of…a…PYCHOPATHIC PUTZ!  
Mech: Help! She's wrapping her tails around me!  
Gaara: Why does this sound extremely perverted?  
Ryu: evil grin 'Cuz it is… Grabs video camera Do you know how much I could sell this for?  
Sanosuke: Get a #ing room!  
Kyo: Visions of Kagura running through head Hey! Get off him! I'm coming to save you Mech!  
Squall: Whatever…  
: Uses a tail to fling Kyo Stay outta this! He's mine. sticks out tongue  
Gaara: Rolls his eyes Oh yeah, big bad demon my $$! Turns to Kyo And you let yourself be tossed around by her! Mech: Passes out from loss of blood due to nosebleed  
Ryu: Well, since the author is currently incapacitated right now, I suppose it's up to me to say Please Review! 


	6. Possession

World of Naruto

Ryu: Ok, sorry sorry. So we're a bit late updating. Mech: It's not my fault. I'm cheap and can't really afford internet.  
Gaara: You know that's not the reason. Don't lie.  
Mech: Looks away guiltily  
Ryu: Fine, fine. I'll tell them. He's been too busy drawing hentai.  
Mech: Damn you, evil Desert Dragon!  
Ryu: Bite me. They deserve to know.  
Mech: Fine! Then what's your excuse for not having updated in...oh, wait...HOW long has it been?  
Ryu: Growls That is privileged information.  
Gaara: Don't lie. Mech: It's a need-to-know, and they need to know.  
Sumomo: She's just lazy and has writer's block!  
Ryu: Hides under desk Go away!  
Squall: Whatever...

Chapter 6: Possession

"Damn it Riso, I told you to stay in bed… Naruto! Get in here, there's something wrong with our son"  
I woke up on the floor, mom standing over me with a look of utter horror on her face. I felt like i had just gotten run over by a herd of Sasukes chasing a Dango Mochi vendor. I leaned on mom as I rose. The whole world looked different, as if I had on tinted sunglasses. A voice was bouncing around in my head, telling me about how this came to be.  
"Your father has sealed away in him a demon, a nine tailed fox spirit. When your father created new life, so did his inner demon. Thus I was born into your body. For some unknown reason, I cannot escape from this shell I have been cast in, but now I don't want to. We can do many things together you and I. There are many out there who we can hurt, who deserve pain for the suffering they cause others. And now we are perfectly melded , two parts of the same whole!"

As my vision started to fade, Naruto picked me up and laid me back on my bed. As he did so, I felt a strange lump on my rear end. It started to grow, so I said so to my father. He checked and called out the hallway to my mother.

"Hinata, honey, there is something growing out of our son's deriere." Getting no answer, he went out to find her.

I felt behind me, finding a rather large and bushy fox tail. I couldnt help it, I started screaming. I mean, it can't be normal to sprout animal body parts, right? Then, it twitched. I panicked. I literally flipped out. I started running around the room, screaming. The sound woke Ikari, who had fussed at the medical staff until they let him stay in the room with Nami.

"What's going on?" he asked, slightly sleepily. Suddenly, he saw my tail and his eyes widened. Then, there were two people flipping out. "What is it? What happened? Did they do something to you? Is it contagious?" He backed up to the wall next to Nami's head. "Stay back! Whatever it is, I don't want it too!"

The room didn't have quite enough floor space in my opinion, so when I hit a wall, I attempted to climb it. Suprisingly, it worked. I ran on all fours up the wall to the ceiling, raced along the ceiling, down the opposite wall and across the floor. Wash, rinse, repeat. I finally decided to stay clinging to the ceiling, eyes roving the room. Ikari was attempting to meld himself into Nami's bed. Suddenly, the door crashed open and Hinata and Naruto burst in.

"Riso! Riso, where are you?" Hinata scanned the room quickly. She stood at the foot of my bed, looking around. Naruto stood in the doorway, looking confused.

I dropped down from the ceiling, landing on my hands and feet on my bed. Hinata jumped a good three feet and whipped around to face my dad.

"What is going on?"

He looked startled. "Um, that's why I got you. I have no idea. All I know is that Riso now seems to have a tail."

She whipped around again, and her eyes widened at the sight of my new tail, thrashing violently. I was confused, scared and quite pissed off at the lack of answers for why I had suddenly grown a tail. Hinata glanced over the rest of me, and when she looked into my eyes, she stopped and stared. I was beginning to get what that meant, and ran to the mirror. My eyes had turned red and my pupils were foxlike!! I managed to keep from flying off the handle again, up until the point that my hand went to mirror and I realized why I had been able to cling to the walls and ceiling. Then, I proceeded to flip out again. Finally, when I was flying from one side of the room to the other, Naruto managed to catch me and hold me down until I had calmed.

I looked up into my fathers eyes, fear tightening my stomach. "Dad, what's going on? Why do I have claws and a tail and weird eyes?"

Naruto looked at me with a deadly serious expression on his unusually pale face. "Son, I want you to focus deep inside yourself, and tell me if you hear a strange voice."

My lips began to move on their own and a voice that definately wasn't mine came out. "No need to look deep, I'm right here at the surface.I am your son's demon, and we are almost perfectly melded into one being. Don't worry, I have no intention of stealing control, just giving him the power that rightfully belongs to him." At that, images flashed through my mind, explaining in an instant what would have otherwise taken hours. Though it seemed that these new features would be permanent, they lost significance in the face of what I was now capable of.

Then I passed out again.

Three days later...

"Mom, I'm going out to train!" I yelled, walking towards the door.

"Alright, but don't over do it!" Hinata shouted at me as I left.

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered as I left. That's all I'd heard since I'd gotten out of the hospital.

I caught up with Suisaiga on my way out, and asked him if he wanted to train with me, but he just shook his head and walked away. I sighed and watched him go.

"He's been weird for a while. Ah, well. Who can I train with? Nami's still in the hospital, so that rules out her and Ikari. Suisaiga's all distracted, and Ryuko's busy with his clan." I sagged as I realized that the list of people I could train with was getting small. Then I thought of something.

"That's alright, I guess I'll go train with Kama."

I began my trek to Kama's place, my new ears that sprouted out of the top of my head picking up conversations as I walked by.

"Hey, that's the Hokage's kid!" one guy whispered.

"Yeah, he's even more of a freak than his father was!" someone else replied.

Greaaat, now I'm being made into an outcast, what a wonderful life this is turning out to be. Now I kind of understand what Nami's life must be like. Further down the street, the cuddle squad caught sight of me. It seems that furry ears and a tail were enough to pull Ikari's fan club away, and now they were always trying to pet me whenever they saw me.

They started running towards me, with screams of 'Riso-chan' and 'Riso-sama'. That was my cue to run. Well, I did say I wanted to train today...

Mech: Once again, I apologize for being so late, but I had a few problems. This will continue to get even more demented, so please look forward to the next one!  
Ryu: Yeah, just hope that at some point in time we regain the ability to update on a regular basis. Raises an eyebrow at Mech  
Mech: What? Just because I damn near forgot I had this going is no reason to look at me like that. 


	7. New Discoveries

World of Naruto

Ryu: Ha ha!! 'Tis time!  
Mech: Why am I all of the sudden very, very worried?  
Gaara: Leans to Mech Because you should be.  
Flonne: She still reminds me of someone.  
Etna: Me, perhaps?  
Flonne: Etna!! Where'd you come from?  
Etna: I'm one of Ryu's muses.  
Ryu: Silence! The fan fic will now...begin...

Chapter 7: New Discoveries

A week after my transformation to my now 'cuddly' state, Nami awoke. My mom let me know as soon as she did, since I'd been wanting to talk to her, but said I couldn't go see her for a couple of days. After breakfast on the first day I could, since there was no training that day, I decided to go to the hospital. As I ran down the street, people parted. I'd like to say it was because they saw I was in a hurry and were being nice, but lying isn't one of the things I believe in. I'd had a week to get used to this though, so it didn't bother me so much.

Arriving at the hospital, I saw Ikari and had to stop. He was standing up, leaning against the wall, fast asleep. He had been keeping vigilant watch over Nami, but it apparently had caught up with him. Trying not to wake him, I slipped by him into Nami's room. What I saw nearly took my breath away.

The window next to Nami's bed was open and she was kneeling out of it. Being four stories up, the first thing that crossed my mind took over.

"No, Nami! Don't do it!" I shouted, running towards the window.

Nami started slightly and turned to me. Her Byakugan was active, and she looked livid.

"Damn it, Riso, shhh." She came from the window and looked out the door. My shout hadn't alerted anyone, so she shut the door and looked at me.

I realized that this was the first time that she'd seen my transformation, so I waited for her reaction. She tilted her head and circled me, Byakugan still going, then looked at me and turned it off.

"Well, a bit sooner than I would have thought, but I suppose the stress would have affected it a little." She moved to me and hugged me. "I'm sorry."

A bit surprised at her reaction, I stood still for a moment, speechless. After a few seconds, I found my voice. "Huh? You knew about this?"

Nami sighed and sat on her bed. I moved over and sat on the one I'd occupied only a week and a half earlier. "In a way. You know that dad's really worried about me being out on my own, right?" I nodded. It was common knowledge. "Well, there's a reason for that. I have a strange, slightly more powerful version of the Byakugan. I can not only see chakra and chakra points that are used, I can see other chakra. Hidden chakra. I've seen yours since you were born. That's why I was chosen to be your guardian from the Branch family. I was the only one who could see what you had within you." She looked at me apologetically. "I'm sorry for not telling you, but Uncle Naruto didn't want you to know. Mind you, I don't think he ever thought you would meld."

Stunned by this news, I sat for a moment, thinking. So, mom and dad knew about me having this within me. Not too surprising, since dad was a demon vessel himself. But the knowledge that Nami had known struck me. That's why she was always more worried about me rather than herself. She knew what I was capable of. Well, it was time to turn the tables. Now that I knew what her Byakugan was capable of, I knew she could never fall into enemy hands. Suddenly, I remembered what I had caught her in the middle of doing. A chill ran down my spine and I looked at her. "Nami, why were you trying to commit suicide? If you're worried about being captured, don't. Ikari and I won't let anything happen to you."

She tilted her head, looking at me with stunned surprise, then burst out laughing. "I wasn't commiting suicide. I was trying to escape."

I frowned, now confused. "Escape? From who?"

She looked at me, still giggling. "From the hospital. They won't let me leave, and I'm going crazy. I can't train, I can't leave, I can't even go for a simple walk without someone there, trying to hold me up like I'm some sort of invalid. It's getting on my nerves. So, I was trying to leave."

I looked at her, and started laughing too. After a few seconds, I became serious again. "Nami, you still aren't completely healed." I looked to the bandages still on her wrists and throat. "If you try and train like this, you'll just end up right back here for longer." I smiled at her. "Besides, you aren't missing anything. There's been no jobs to do since we got back."

Nami sighed. "Yeah, I know. I just want to train more." She whipped out a senbon out of her hair and, without even looking, pinned a fly to the wall. My eyes widened.

"Um, Nami. I think you'll be just fine when you get out." My eyes were still stuck to the fly attached to the wall. She looked over at it and laughed at my reaction.

"Yeah, well. I've had nothing to do but improve my target practice. Irritates the heck out of the med staff though." She smiled. "Especially when I hit their equipment while they're still holding it."

I laughed with Nami, then looked at her. "Promise me you'll stay until they let you out?"

She sighed and dropped her head. "Yeah, I suppose." Her violet-white eyes showed between her hair. "I'm not gonna like it though."

I laughed, then took my leave. I wanted to get in a bit of solo training before the day was out. As I was leaving, a kunai with a note on it hit the ground directly between my feet. I looked at it, startled, then grabbed the note and read it.

Riso,  
One last thing. Please, PLEASE, bring me something decent to eat. The food here's terrible!

I looked up at the window and saw Nami there, looking out at me, and for a second, I realized that she looked caged and alone. I shook the thought from my head, waved my understanding, and took off to home.

END: Chapter 7: New Discoveries

Ryu: Ah, there we go. A decent sized chapter with some interesting information.  
Mech: And, tell me again, why are you working on this instead of one of yours?  
Ryu: Mine aren't on this computer, silly.  
Gaara: She just doesn't want to admit she has no idea what to do next.  
Ryu: Dammit, Gaara! Do you want them to kill me? Hides in Gaara's gourd  
Gaara: Hey, get out of there!  
Flonne: Oh! Hide and seek! I want to play.  
Mitsune: Um, Flonne.  
Squall: Can there ever be any quiet around here?  
Ryu: Pokes her head out of the gourd and looks to Mech Have you realized something? It's kinda crowded with you, me and all our muses in here.  
Mech: Looks around Now that you mention it.  
Etna: Ah, don't worry about it. I can just kill Flonne.  
Flonne: What? Me?  
Mech: No. She's my muse. Ryu, rein in your muse, please.  
Kyo: Um, I can leave...please... Inches toward the door  
Gaara: Oh, no you don't. Grabs Kyo with sand If I'm stuck here, so are you.  
Mech: Well...um...anyway, Please review! . 


End file.
